Thursday, October 30, 2014

On November 21st, book one in a highly anticipated sci-fi novella series, Amethyst Chronicles: Winter's Kiss launches. This is actually a spin-off, taking place over a thousand years after the third in Mirror trilogy, Mirror Reformed (out January 16th). I'm really excited for this.

Blurb:

Amethyst is a secret team of genetically enhanced humans which is Earth’s greatest defensive weapon. Leading the team of super soldiers is Ember Wilson, a tough woman with a huge chip on her shoulder. The team gets their name from the after effect of the Genesis Project which turned their eyes and even their blood purple.

For decades, Earth has been ravaged by unpredictable weather which began to cause crops to fail. Most of the planet’s food sources have deteriorated. Dr. Clayton Rudo has proclaimed he has the means to save the soil. He has created a weather machine to regulate and help replenish. But Ember knew the truth. He didn’t want to save the planet. He wanted to control it. Amethyst destroyed the machine, but was placed in stasis. Two years later, Rudo recreated the device and has frozen Washington, DC and the west coast of the United States.

General Tom Blanchard brought Amethyst out of stasis to work with an elite Air Force team, led by Major Liam Ross. Tensions between Ember and Liam rise as they butt heads. Can they work together before Earth is completely under ice?

Excerpt:

A lab technician carefully brought Ember Wilson out
of stasis. Liam stood back as her team surrounded the final pod. Her violet
eyes fluttered open and Liam’s hands began to shake. He couldn’t believe how
stunning she was.

"What the hell?" she groaned.

"You'll feel sick to your stomach for a moment,
but it will pass," Lewis informed her.

"My head," she muttered, rubbing her
temple. "What did that empty-headed, bureaucrat ass kisser Blanchard do
to me? How long have we been out?"

“Two years,” he replied.

"Wilson, take a second to get your bearings,"
Morris said.

“You’ll feel back to normal in a moment,” Nova added.

She scanned the lab, coming to a stop the moment her
eyes locked on the General. Her foot pressed against the back of the pod, her
eyes wild with anger.

"You son of a bitch!" she yelled as she
used her foot to launch herself in the air.

Nova and Morris caught her before she could reach Blanchard.
She kicked and screamed for freedom but the duo wouldn't budge. She jerked
against the hold they had on her arms, spitting and cursing.

"I know," Lewis calmly said as he stood in
front of her. Her foot was inches from his chin when she kicked. "Hey, it’s
okay. I know. But there are more pressing matters at hand than him."

"Rudo?" she asked through gritted teeth.

"You got it."

"You moron!" she shouted, looking over
Lewis’ shoulder to Blanchard. "You had the chance to stop it before he
could act but you were too much of a coward!"

"I'm sorry--"

"Sorry? Sorry?"
Her voice was nearly shrieking. "Not yet, but you will be."

"Wilson, Rudo used the weather machine,"
Nova stated, his face contorted as he strained to keep his hold on her.

"Of course he did! And now we've got to clean up
the mess."

"Whatever problems you and I have aren't
important right now," Blanchard said.

"You got that right," she snapped.
"I'm going to finish what I started and kill Rudo and maybe you'll be
lucky not to meet my blaster."

"There's no cause for that," Liam spoke up.

Her purple eyes looked upon the Major for the first
time. He instantly regretted interrupting. She stopped struggling against Nova
and Morris. A low growl rumbled from deep in her throat as her eyes narrowed.
He shifted uncomfortably, fidgeting with the hem of his dress blues. The
coldness in her eyes made him shiver.

"Who's the uniform?" She nodded in his
direction.

"This is Major Liam Ross," Blanchard
introduced. "His team will be working with yours on this mission."

"Absolutely not." Ember shook her head as
Nova and Morris let go of her arms. "We're all you need."

"President Packer disagrees."

"I don't give a flying monkey's butt what Packer
says."

"This is bigger than your raid on Rudo. You need
the man power."

“No one else could’ve broken into the compound! We
don’t need or want the help.”

"I know. The leader of the Luteus team still
isn’t one hundred percent after the skirmish your two teams had."

"It was a training exercise. Besides, if Mark is
still healing after all this time, he should spend time in a therapy tank.
That's not my problem."

"Regardless of how you feel, this is the
situation. Or you can be put back into the stasis chamber."

"Not on your life." Ember's lips twitched.

"Glad we've reached an accord." Blanchard
nodded.

Wilson turned to Ross again, sizing him up. He was
tall and, judging by the way his Air Force blues molded to him, was very
muscular. His brown hair framed his handsome face but didn't touch the collar
of his impeccably clean uniform. Soft brown eyes were watching her intensely.

Friday, October 24, 2014

The third full-length novel in SE Gilchrist’s bestselling erotic SF series mixes one sexy spy, a soldier looking for salvation and an unlikely mission to save the world.

Reece, contortionist bubble dancer and part-time spy, has one goal – a safe haven and independent life far from the war. But her plans go awry and her future becomes dangerously uncertain when she is falsely accused of the murders of her friend and a Darkon traitor. Now her new list of goals includes payback.

In her way is Ulrac, a banished Darkon patroller responsible for incarcerating females for barbaric ‘treatments’ and ‘research’ on the planet Isla. He's determined to use the capture of the spy and her intel to win the approval of his father – a hard-line Traditionalist with his own agenda – and help him overthrow the current ruler of Darkos.

But the war of the Seven Galaxies has reached a critical stage, and personal plans and goals suddenly hold very little meaning. The enemy is poised to unleash a terrible weapon and no one stands between him and total domination of all the universes.

Thursday, October 23, 2014

In six days, A Mirrors Beginning: John Brooks will be launching! This is the first in a series of short stories about the origins of the characters prior to Mirror Image. It's been fascinating to me to go back and see things from others point of view.

And now I need your help! Distinguished Press has the story up on Thunderclap! For those who are not familiar, Thunderclap is a social media tool used to help get one message out. By supporting via Twitter, Tumblr, or Facebook, you are authorizing your support to spread the word about my story.

“His whole life he fought for everything without a reason to fight. Before they met, she gave him a reason. http://thndr.it/1nwXf8m” <--- still available for pre-order.

As an added bonus, if you pre-order John's story, you'll get entered to win a copy of Amethyst Chronicles: Winter's Kiss when it launches in November. Make sure after you pre-order to send me a message on Facebook (Facebook.com/KGStutts) to be in the drawing.

Sunday, October 19, 2014

On October 8th, my friend and fellow sci-fi author, Pippa Jay, released an amazing short story called Hallow's Eve. I featured the cover reveal last month. Now, I would like to spotlight this terrific story and post my review.

Here's Pippa:

How
to make a Woman

As a former analytical chemist, I'm
talking pure chemistry here and not any archaic celebration of womanhood. The
kind of chemistry that involves the periodic table and not biological or sexual
chemistry. Part of the inspiration for Hallow's
Eve came from a memory of a poem by Terry Pratchett in Wintersmith.

Iron enough to make a nail,
Lime enough to paint a wall,
Water enough to drown a dog,
Sulphur enough to stop the fleas,
Potash enough to wash a shirt,
Gold enough to buy a bean,
Silver enough to coat a pin,
Lead enough to ballast a bird,
Phosphor enough to light the town,
Poison enough to kill a cow,

Strength enough to build a home,
Time enough to hold a child,
Love enough to break a heart.

I was never able to learn if this is an
older poem or one he wrote himself. Regardless, it got me thinking about the
actual elements that make up a human being. I was an analytical chemist before
leaving to be a stay-at-home mum, so that came in useful when trying to
formulate an alchemical spell for creating a person.

Firstly, I looked up the chemical
composition of the average human. Then the weight of the average human female.
Now, at this point I have to admit my maths is rusty. It's been eleven years
since I worked in the lab, and three bouts of baby brain have seriously impaired
my ability. However, I looked up a list of household equivalents for the
chemicals on the list—charcoal for carbon, chalk for calcium, phosphorus from
match heads etc—and calculated approximately how much of each would be needed.
Vitamin tablets took the place of the numerous trace elements needed. (I may
get told I'm wrong on my amounts, but I allowed for errors in the spell
itself).

So there you go—these are the things
that make a woman. Have you ever used something from your profession to help
you write?

Thanks, Pippa!

Can one night of magic heal his heart?

Blurb:

Twelve months ago, Hal’s world crashed and
burned, taking the love of his life with it. He’s waited all year for that one
special night when the souls of the departed come home, hoping his candle will
summon back one in particular to heal his broken heart. But the forbidden
knowledge he’s learned could call something far worse, and put more than his
own soul at risk...

I'm a fan of Pippa Jay. Her writing is always well-paced and action packed. She leaves an impression and will have you thinking long after the story is finished. This is no exception. Hal and Eve are very well developed in a short amount of time. It poses a question: what would you do to regain a lost love? Even knowing the consequences? This was a gripping story from beginning to end. One of the few times I have re-read a book after I was finished. Highly recommend!

Bio:

After spending twelve
years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory,
Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural.
Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to
leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free
moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street
dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the
historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three
little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.

Friday, October 10, 2014

The first in my origin series, A Mirrors Beginning: John Brooks, is now available for pre-order! Reserve your copy of this short story for $.99

Blurb:

High school drop out, former addict, now fights for intergalactic peace.

Life can be rough for some. For one man, life was insurmountable.
One dead end after another lead him in and out of jail more times than
he ventured to count. One such occasion changed everything.

Charlie Westlake is a man on a mission to bring together one of the
top teams the universe has ever seen. On this trip, he will bring an
empty man into the fold. Will he make it?

John Brooks enters the ISC in this, a prequel to Mirror Image.

What do you think of the updated over?

Excerpt:
He had a sinking feeling when Charlie pulled him into his office.

“John, take a seat,” he ordered.

John sat down in the chair opposite of the office desk, watching Charlie intently. The commander
folded his hands on top of the desk. Disappointment filled Charlie’s eyes and for the first time in a long time, John felt ashamed.

“When I brought you in here, I knew it would take some time adjusting,” Charlie began. “Time
which I gladly gave.”
“I am grateful for all you’ve done for me.”
“I know you are. For the most part, you are prospering. You’ve come a long way, John.”
“Thank you.”
“But these reports I’ve gotten recently disturb me.”

John kept his eyes on Charlie and didn’t speak.

“Picking fights among your team, refusing to fall in line with your leader, often disobeying orders -”
“Sir, sometimes Melissa’s orders are ridiculous.”
“She told me you’d say that. She says you are uncooperative.”
“I speak my mind. She doesn’t like it.”
“No, she certainly doesn’t.” Charlie leaned back in his chair, stroking his chin. “What do you fight
for?”
John blinked a few times, confused at the question. “Huh?”
“It’s a simple question. What do you fight for?”

Charlie stood up, walking around and sitting down on the edge of the desk.

“Do you fight for Earth? For your brothers? Yourself? What drives you, John? What makes you get
out of bed in the morning?”
John thought about it. “Duty.”
“Duty,” Charlie repeated.
“I want to work here. I want to be a part of something.”
“That’s not going to do it.” Charlie shook his head.
A hard lump formed in John’s throat. “Are you dismissing me?”
“Goodness boy, no. I’m saying you need something more.”

He stood up and John did the same. Charlie walked back around to his desk and sat down in his
chair.

“Effective immediately, Mackenzie Rhodes will be your squad leader.”
Shock rippled through his body. “Why?” The question carelessly slipped from his lips without
thought.
“We’re restructuring. She has been a squad leader for two years now. Melissa is being reassigned.”
“Who else is on the team?” He hesitated before asking.
“You, Logan, Seth, and Jackson. Nothing else is changing.”
“Charlie, why isn’t Jackson the leader? He’s more than capable.”
“He was offered, but declined. I think he liked the idea of working with his wife too much to pass
up.”
Another shock hit him. “Wait, Jackson and Mackenzie are married?”
“She goes by Mack now.” Charlie grinned. “Seems she took a liking to the nickname you gave her.”

John looked at him confused. He hadn’t spoken with her other than a nod and a hello in passing in
years. Field agents and scientists normally didn’t interact.

Charlie chuckled. “Some people have an impact on our lives, even in ways we don’t expect.”
“I guess so.”
“I like you, John. Always have. You could do great things here, but only if you pull yourself together.
Find something worth fighting for. Give yourself a real reason.”
“I’ll try.”
“She’s requesting to speak with you before formally making the announcement. Go report to your
leader,” Charlie said, dismissing him.

I'm really excited to release this series. I am currently working on Seth and Logan's story as well.

Wednesday, October 8, 2014

On October 29th, Distinguished Press and I will release the first book in my series of origin stories based on the characters from my Mirror series. This is a collection of origin on John Brooks, Seth and Logan Brooks, Jackson Gray and then Mackenzie Rhodes, all leading up to the first book in the sci-fi romance series, Mirror Image.

Blurb:

Before John Brooks joined the Intergalactic Security Commission, his life was very different. Separated from his family, he was in and out of homes until he could make it on his own. His was a life which could've ended tragically until Charlie Westlake intervened. You don't really know him until you take a real in-depth look into his story.

Thursday, October 2, 2014

Mirror Reformed is the final book in my Mirrors sweet sci-fi trilogy. For those who may not be familiar, the series is about a scientist, Maddie Rhodes, who finds out she's actually a clone. She is caught in a secret world with her counterpart, who goes by the name Mack, to protect countless other planets, Earth, and each other. She learns about the Intergalactic Security Commission, the secret organization Mack works for. The second in the series, Mirror Shattered, was released in August. The second installment took the team to 1965 to prevent a species long thought extinct called the Synth from stopping the formation of the ISC.

Now the Synth are back, targeting the ISC and Earth. Maddie and the others must formulate a plan to defend the planet over a highly advanced foe.

Here is a snippet from Mirror Reformed.

“No, that’s not right.” Mack erased Maddie’s
mathematical equation from the dry erase board. “It’s all wrong.”
“Hey!” Maddie protested.
“Who wants some coffee?” Hunter asked as he carried in a tray with two mugs and
some snacks.
The women ignored him. “You don’t touch
my board!”
“Don’t put incorrect math on it and I won’t.”
“It wasn’t wrong.” Maddie hastily began re-scribbling the equation. “You forgot
to factor in for the instabilities in the protective asteroid belt.”
“I didn’t forget anything.” Mack glared at her counterpart. “It’s right …
wait.”

Mack’s brow furrowed as she looked at her own board.

“See?” Maddie placed her hands on her hips.
“All right, so I was wrong.” Mack let out a low growl. “Where is the boy with
our coffee?”
Hunter cleared his throat. “Uh, ladies?”
“Finally!” Mack exclaimed. “Took you long enough.”
“You’re welcome,” Hunter dryly said.
“Thank you, Hunter. We appreciate it,” Maddie said, cutting her eyes toward
Mack.
“No sweat.” Hunter smiled. “What are you working on?”
“We are trying to increase the range of the defense shields,” Mack explained.
“I thought it was maxed out?”
“It is which is why we are trying to boost it.” Mack rolled her eyes. “Where is
your sister?”
“Morgan is finishing the download of the encrypted files from Charlie,” Hunter
informed her.
“Make yourself useful and go help her.”

Maddie smiled as she closed her eyes and breathed in
the coffee smell. Hunter flushed and excused himself from the lab.

“You don’t have to be so mean to him,” Maddie said. “He’s
a good guy.”
“I’m sure he is. Just not all assistants are made equal.”
“Is there something eating you?”
“You mean, other than an alien race trying to destroy or enslave us?”

Maddie shot her counterpart a harsh look. Mack
rubbed the back of her neck, her short spikey hair falling down into her face.

“Charlie said you were his point of contact when we
went back to 1965.” Maddie nodded. “I can’t tell you why but I feel like I
wasn’t there.”
“What are you talking about?”
“He said Jackson led the team. He only would if I wasn’t there.”
“Maybe you were on a different mission,” Maddie suggested.
Mack’s frown deepened into a scowl. “Time travel? No, the only way I wouldn’t
be involved is if I wasn’t alive.”
“Mack, we don’t know for sure-“
“Please,” Mack cut her off. “I know you are trying to remain positive, and
believe me, I appreciate it, but it’s an overwhelming feeling I have.”

Maddie didn’t know what to say. She had wondered the
same thing but wasn’t going to voice her opinion. She reached out and grabbed
Mack’s hand. The other woman gave her a small smile and an affectionate
squeeze.

“It’s okay,” Mack told her. “I’m here now and I plan
to keep it that way.”

Just a small taste of what is to come in this exciting conclusion! Make sure you click the banner above to check out the other entries in SFR Brigade Presents!

Interested in my Mirror series or any of my romance novels? Check out my Amazon author page. Mirror Image is just $.99!

Wednesday, October 1, 2014

I love cover reveals! The excitement of a new book launching begins when the cover is first shown. Today, I have the joy of ushering my friend Pippa Jay's cover for her next book, launching on October 8th! Check out Hallow's Eve! I'll actually be posting a review here in several days as well as on Amazon.

Can one night of magic heal his heart?

Blurb:

Twelve months ago, Hal’s world crashed and
burned, taking the love of his life with it. He’s waited all year for that one
special night when the souls of the departed come home, hoping his candle will
summon back one in particular to heal his broken heart. But the forbidden
knowledge he’s learned could call something far worse, and put more than his
own soul at risk...

Excerpt:

The thud and chink of beer bottles and glasses on the bar announced
Dan’s return.

“So?”

Hal shook his head. “Not tonight.”

“Oh, c’mon, man. Just one beer.”

Hal dropped his gaze to the glass he was still drying with a vehemence
it didn’t deserve, avoiding his friend’s pleading stare. “Thanks, but I’m not
in the mood.”

Dan made an exasperated sound. “Look, I know it’s nearly a year—”

Pain lanced into his chest. “Stop.” He looked up.

A frown creasing his tanned face, Dan glared back, but he shut up.

Hal sucked in a breath. He didn’t want to fight with Dan over this. The
guy had stopped Hal’s life completely falling apart after last Halloween. “I
know what you’re trying to do,” he murmured, and relief flickered in Dan’s
brown eyes. “But I’m not ready to let it go.”

“I’m not saying you should, man. But how about getting back into some
social interaction? You can’t spend the rest of your life as a recluse.”

“I won’t.” Hal smiled. Dan had no idea.

“Then come out for a beer.”

“Another time.”

“Tomorrow then. I know you’ve got the Halloween shift off.”

Hal put down the glass he’d abused. “I’m busy.”

“Oh, yeah? Doing what? Trick or treating?” Dan scoffed. “What is it with
you and Halloween? You never struck me as religious enough to find it
offensive, but you don’t go out and have any fun either. So how come you always
take the night off?”

Hal looked around the bar at all the tawdry holiday decorations, and
debated how to answer. Maybe Dan thought he was a closet Christian or
something. The truth would shock the hell out of him. Especially with what Hal
had planned this year. “My...family don’t see it as something to joke about.”

“Oh. Strict Catholic or something?”

“Something like that.” Hal smiled at the thought of his parents taking
Holy Communion. But let Dan interpret it any way he liked.

Coming 8th October, Hallow’s Eve will be
available in all digital formats from Amazon, B&N, Smashwords, All Romance
eBooks, and most digital online retailers.

Link: http://www.pippajay.co.uk/#!hallows-eve/c6fi

Bio:

After spending twelve
years working as an Analytical Chemist in a Metals and Minerals laboratory,
Pippa Jay is now a stay-at-home mum who writes scifi and the supernatural.
Somewhere along the way a touch of romance crept into her work and refused to
leave. In between torturing her plethora of characters, she spends the odd free
moment playing guitar very badly, punishing herself with freestyle street
dance, and studying the Dark Side of the Force. Although happily settled in the
historical town of Colchester in the UK with her husband of 21 years and three
little monsters, she continues to roam the rest of the Universe in her head.